IB Studio Art

Comparative Study:

Discovering the
Human Body
Mia Smith

Introduction

During my two years as an IB Studio Art student, subjects of sexuality and the human body greatly
interested me. As an art student, once interested in the subject of the human form its hard to miss artists
like Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. I first saw Schieles work in a gallery in New York City. His artwork
both struck and impressed me, and I envied his distinct style. I quickly learned that Gustav Klimt was a
major part of Schieles life, and his artwork paved the way for young Schiele. Both artists focus greatly on
the female body and how sexuality can be interpreted. For their time period, their artwork pushed
boundaries and resulted in great personal struggle. I share the desire to push social norms through my
artwork, so naturally I was drawn even further to the two. Klimt and Schiele have since inspired my
artwork, and sculpted me as an artist.

Schiele and Klimt: A Brief History

Egon Schiele joined the Vienna Academy of Art at the age of 16 in 1906, and was
quickly recognized as a protege. He was assigned to Gustav Klimt, a member of the
Vienna Secession, as a pupil. Under Klimt, Schiele learned the basic skills he
needed to strive as an artist, and emulated Klimts style to a great extent. Even
later on in Schieles career, Klimt was featured in his paintings and Schiele even
directly copied some of Klimts most distinct works, such as The Kiss. See Figure #1.

Figure #1. The Kiss, Gustav Klimt, 1908, (Left) The Cardinal and Nun, Egon Schiele, 1912 (Right)

Schieles Kiss Emulation

In Figure #1, its easy to see the similarities between Schieles Cardinal and Nun and
Klimts The Kiss. Klimts piece, painted five years prior, was entirely positive and
romantic, however, Schiele recreates it in a darker manner. The gold background is
now entirely black, and the two figures are no longer gently holding one another, its
now a firm, almost violent embrace. Schieles depictions of sex and intimacy are
rarely soft, but uncomfortable and raw. Here, Klimts influence on Schiele is
demonstrated perfectly, but Schieles own voice and style arent lost. Schiele simply
used Klimts piece as a starting point for his own story and his own interpretation of
intimacy.

Initial Response - Klimts Woman in Gold

I first saw Klimts portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer in the Neue
Galerie in New York City. The viewer is immediately drawn
to the womans soft face, haloed with dark hair and
bubbles of gold. The viewers eyes are then led down her
dress, examining the geometric blocks of gold that make
up the fabric. Klimts sparing usage of black in her dress
balances out her dark hair, and creates a sense of balance
and harmony. The viewer then enjoys the simple, yet
beautiful background that places the woman in a world of
gold.
The Woman in Gold is easily one of Klimts most prominent
and famous paintings. Not only is it a stunning portrait, but
it captures his style and usage of gold perfectly. Alongside
of The Kiss, Klimts legacy lies with The Woman in Gold.
Woman in Gold, Gustav Klimt, 1907

Klimt & I
As I familiarized myself with both Klimt and Schieles work,
I found I connected with individual aspects of each artists
works. Klimt is famous for his incorporation of gold leaf
into his paintings, which inspired me to not step away from
drawing, but to experiment with gold. I found that I loved
the process of painting and working with a new medium,
and that gold leaf was striking and a beautiful addition to
many pieces of my art. While working with gold leaf, I
stepped away from my usual dark palette, and
experimented with bright, striking colors. In my opinion,
gold leaf adds a decorous and royal feeling to my painting,
and was a perfect addition. Without inspiration from
Klimt, I doubt I ever would have found myself working
Artwork by me
with gold leaf.
Sleeping Swan, Acrylic and Gold Leaf (3.5 ft by 4.5 ft)

Figure #2

In Figure# 2 are two more examples of Klimts defining

usage of goldleaf. In both pieces, the gold leaf adds the
perfect final addition and brings the painting to another
level. On the right in Figure# 3 is another example of my
own personal usage of gold leaf in my sketchbook. In
contrast with Klimt however, my linework is very sketchy
and rough, the opposite of Klimts subtle, round and soft
figures.

Figure #3
Artwork by me

Initial Response - Schiele

As with Klimt, I first saw Schieles work in person at the
Neue Galerie in New York City. Schieles sketches lined
the walls, creating an overwhelming amount of beauty.
Almost every piece contained a nude man or woman,
contorted and elongated. Bright fabrics decorated their
yellow, faded skin that was tightly wrapped around
their bones. Here, the viewer is able to follow the hard
dark lines Schiele created, taking their eyes throughout
the portrait. When finished examining the work, the
viewer is able to walk away knowing Schiele, and his
emotions, a little better.
Self-Portrait in Red,
Egon Schiele

Schiele & I
Between the two artists, I believe Im more similar to
Schiele technique-wise, and I find his sharp and harsh
linework more aesthetically pleasing. In Figure# 4,
theres a direct recreation of mine (left) next to a
small photo of Schieles original (right). Schieles
portraits are often emaciated and skeletal with
discolored skin. These characteristics deviate from
his tutors style greatly, seeing as Klimts portraits are
often blushing and lively women.
Schieles gaunt portraits define and elevate him as an
artist. At the time, it was taboo and shocking to
portray the human body in the ways that Schiele did.
Despite this, he drew harsh, graphic poses and
feminine men, giving little regard to the social mores
of the day.

Figure #4
Artwork by me
Osen, Ink and Watercolor,
2014

In Figure #5, one of Schieles sketches (left) is contrasted with my emulation (right). The defensive
and sorrowful pose Schiele chose was fascinating to me so I recreated it. Schieles original nude had
warm, peach-like skin with little shading, however when I emulated it, I used paler skin tones along
with some bruising. In addition to the color-scheme change, I added wounds on the figures back to
create an explanation for the folded pose as well as a backstory. I imagine that if Schiele had used
this sketch as inspiration for a full painting, there would be darker colors and more detail in the skin.
Figure #5

Because this particular

sketch is so simple, it lacks a lot of
Schieles key traits, like a harsh
black outline, elongated limbs and
skeletal traits.

Nude Sketch by Egon Schiele

Artwork by Me

Much like Schiele used Klimts Kiss

as a starting place for his Cardinal
and The Nun, I used this sketch of
Schieles to create my own work.
Though credit is due to Schiele for
inspiring me, I used my own
techniques and preferences to make
the drawing my own.

For this piece, I

emulated one of
Schieles self-portraits.
I used his piece as a
direct reference for his
famous, skeletal
elongated hands. I then
created my own
character in Schieles
style. Using a dark line
and discolored skin, I
was able to create my
own Schiele-esque
portrait. Schieles
characteristics of
illness and deformity
convey a sense of
frustration and
discomfort. Ive found
that using the same
techniques is not only
aesthetically rewarding,
but cathartic.
Self-portrait by Egon Schiele

Artwork by me

Conclusion
Both Schiele and Klimt have had massive influences on me. Their relationship and
individual creations have educated me and changed me drastically as an artist. Simply
learning their life stories and examining their art has left me a more educated,
empathetic and well-rounded artist. After being introduced to their artwork, I cannot
look at art or the human body the same way. A certain level of complexity and meaning
has been added to both human anatomy and the world of art. The personal lesson Ive
learned from these two artists is that the human body is a vehicle for expression, and
should be shown as such.

Sources

Kallir, Jane. "Egon Schiele, the Complete Works: Including a Biography and a Catalogue Raisonn." Barnes & Noble. Art
Services International, 6 Feb. 1994. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
Schiele, Egon. Cardinal and Nun. 1912. Acrylic. sterreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria
Fischer, Wolfgang Georg. Egon Schiele, 1890-1918: Desire and Decay. Hong Kong: Taschen, 2007. Print.
Christian Bauer. Egon Schiele: The Beginning. Munchen: Hirmer Verlag GmbH, 2013. Print.
Burman, Greta. "The Startlingly Original Egon Schiele." The Startlingly Original Egon Schiele The Juilliard School. Julliard, 1
Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
Blackshaw, Gemma. "The Pathological Body: Modernist Strategizing in Egon Schiele's Self-Portraiture." DeepDyve. Oxford Art,
3 Oct. 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Messer, Thomas M. Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. New York: Karger AG, Basel, 1965. Print.

Dabrowski, Magdalena. "German Expressionism." MoMA.org. Museum of Modern Art, 7 Apr. 95. Web. 25 Jan. 2016